Disaster preparedness of the Columbia University Libraries

Abstract

Librarians and archivists may be called upon as professionals to become involved in minimizing collection damage following a natural disaster, a criminal act, a terrorist act, or a war. It is imperative that each institution prepares a disaster preparedness plan that may not only help to prevent such incidents from happening but will also enable the institution to be ready to respond with appropriate emergency management plans minimizing catastrophic damage if a disaster, whether natural or man-made, occurs. This article discusses the disaster preparedness plan of the Columbia University Libraries with a reference to Columbia University which is located in New York City.